“Not yet. We need tae get closer or they’ll have time tae run for their ships,” Alec insisted, his father nodding in assent and signaling for their clansmen to fan out beside them.
Alec could see that Hamish had signaled to his clansmen as well and they were taking up positions along the bank. Some of the raiders were beginning to stir with loud belches, yawns, and the breaking of wind—och, a few moments more…
“What the devil?” Alec stared in disbelief at the sight of a snow-white horse bursting into the encampment—and was that Sheena astride what looked like Rowen’s mare?
Donald swore a low oath, glancing at Alec and back again to the commotion as raiders jumped to their feet with their weapons brandished and surrounded the snorting animal.
“I’ve brought a gift for your leader, Thorgren Sigurdson!” Sheena cried out as she shoved something from the saddle onto the ground, Alec spying flame-red hair—ah, God, no.
Rowen?
* * *
Her breath joltedfrom her body, Rowen lay still with her head pounding as a woman’s shrill voice sounded above her.
“Take her, she’s yours! Och, let go of the reins—let go!”
Wincing at the shriek of outrage, Rowen groaned as memory flooded back to her…Sheena telling her that Snow was ailing and running to the stable only to be struck from behind by something hard?—
“By God, can a man not get some rest?” came a disgruntled bellow from a short distance away, Rowen flickering open her eyes to see a half dozen unkempt-looking men staring down at her.
Another shriek made her grimace again, and she turned her head to find Sheena dumped onto the ground next to her, the serving maid’s face flushed red with indignation.
“No, no, you dinna understand! I came here only tae leave the woman?—”
“Silence!”
Rowen flinched as heavy footfalls came toward them, her head aching so badly that it was hard for her to keep her eyes open.
Yet her gaze widened in horror when a huge man in both height and girth reached down to grab Sheena by the hair and pull her up to face him.
“You’ve brought a gift for me, wench? That redheaded one there? Or mayhap you meant the both of you?”
“N-no, not me,” Sheena stuttered, clearly frightened to death as she pointed at Rowen. “Only her, but you must leave with her quickly. Warriors are coming…my brother, Kael, and some of Laird Mackay’s men were close behind me?—”
“Your brother, you say? MacBain? The old laird’s man who traded with us?”
“A-aye, but the old laird is dead. This one is the new laird’s wife and—and I hate her!”
Now Thorgren was the one to stare…until suddenly he threw back his shaved head and laughed so loudly that a flock of blackbirds were startled from the branches overhead and flew away, squawking.
His broad face with a flattened nose grown ruddy with mirth while Rowen stared from him to Sheena, who glared down at her.
“Sheena…you’re mad tae have done this tae me,” she barely managed with a voice that sounded like a croak, her throat was so dry. “Alec will be here any moment with his men and his father’s men and the Sutherlands?—”
“What?” Thorgren bellowed, releasing Sheena so suddenly that she collapsed to the ground. “Mackays and Sutherlands riding together? You lie, wench, that day will never come?—”
“Thorgren, they’re here!” shouted one of the men, pointing into the trees as a resounding roar came from one side of the encampment, sword-wielding clansmen rushing down a slope toward them.
Rowen swept up so suddenly and tossed over the raider’s immense shoulder that the breath was knocked from her again and she had no chance to scream.
No chance to fight as Thorgren lunged toward the nearest tent and threw aside the flap to duck inside and grab a flaxen-haired woman—ah, God, Tira!—who cowered in one corner, tossing her over his other shoulder. Cursing, he lunged outside as more war cries sounded from the opposite side of the encampment.
He was breathing hard as he ran and then Rowen felt herself hoisted up and dropped over the side of a ship to land hard upon the deck, Tira dumped beside her. Stunned, Rowen swiped away hair covering her face to see Thorgren and his men clambering aboard while others pushed the vessel from shore.
Tira sobbed next to her, which made Rowen gather the young woman into her arms to try and comfort her as women’s screams filled the air.
Ah, no, the captives from the village.
